Upholstery for vehicles and method of applying the same



Jan. 6, 1925. 1,21,774

A. H. LIGHTER UPHOLSTERY FOR VEHICLES AND METHOD OF APPLYING THE SAME Filed Oct- 2 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1- INVENTOR. I 1h Adolph H. Lichier ATTORN Jan; s, 1925.

A. H. LIGHTER UPHOLSTERY FOR VEHICLES AND METHOD OF APPLYING THE SAME Filed Oct. 25, 1920 s Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. Adol h H. Lich't'ev W frroRNEy sj Jan. mzmm A. H. LECHTER UPHOLSTERY FOR VEHICLES AND'METHOD OF APPLYING THE SAME Filed Oct. 28, 1920 3 Shams-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

Adolph H.Lichter Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

umrao sraras;

1,521,174 career OFFICE.

ADOLPH H. LIGHTER, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNO'R TO THE WILLYS-OVERLAND COM-' PANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

UPHOLSTERY FOR VEHICLES AND METHOD OF AEPLYING THE SAME.

Application filed October 28, 1920. Serial No. 420,193.

To all whom it mar/y concern:

Be it known that I, AnoLrH H. LIGHTER, residing at Toledo, county of Lucas, State of Ohio, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Upholstery for Vehicles and Methods of Applying the Same, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an im roved upholstery for'vehicles and the met 0d of ap plying the same, and more particularly to an upholstery of this character which is' capable of being applied in such a manner that the fastening means for securing the same to the frame are concealed from view.

One object of the invention is to provide an upholstery of the character described which is made up of separate units each formed of such shapeand size as to fit the part to which it is intended to be applied.

A further object of theinvention is to provide upholstery units so formed as to be capable of being applied to a frame in such a manner that they will be retained in position thereon and at the same time the fastening means for securing the upholstery units upon the frame will be concealed from view. 7

A further object of'the invention is to provide a structure of this character wherein the upholstery is mounted upon plates of rigid or semi-rigid material whereby the fabric forming the upholstery will be held against becoming wrinkled or unequally stretched.

A further objectof the invention is to provide an upholstery of this character wherein the various parts may be applied to the frame at a minimum expenditure of time and labor, and yet be firmly secured in position and held againstremoval much more efi'iciently than is the case in the upholstery previously employed.

A further object of the invention is to rovide new and improved means for applying upholstery to a frame whereby the upholstery material may be secured 1n place in such a manner that the fastening means are entirely concealed, and at the same time the ifabric material forming apart of the upholstery presents a smooth and finished appearance to the eye.

Further objects of the invention relate to economics of manufacture and details of construction as will appear from the detailed description to follow:

In applying upholstery to the inner portions of vehicle frames it has heretofore been the practice to cut the fabric forming the= upholstery into proper sizes to fit the various parts to which they were to be applied, and after providing suitable backing for the upholstery to apply the same by tacking it directly upon the exposed portion of the frame, then drawing the fabric so as to slightly stretch the same and remove any wrinkles formed therein, whereupon the remaining sides of the fabric are tacked to portions of the frame along the edges of the piece of fabric. In the manner of applying the upholstery as above described, It is necessary that only skilled workmen be employed and that great care be exercised in stretching the fabric uniformly so that no wrinkles or inequalities may develop in the fabric after the same has been'applied to the frame. When this method of applying the upholstery is employed, it is also necessary to apply finish strips or braid strips along the edges of the fabric to cover the exposed ends of the tacks employed for holdin the fabric in place. It results that the a ova method of applying upholstery consumes a considerable amountv of time and great care must be exercised in applying the same to prevent unequal stretching .of the material, in addition to which it is necessary to apply the braid finish to'cover the exposed ends of the tacks and this must also be applied with considerable care in order to prevent a smooth and finished surface. In the structure illustratedhere'with, many of the difficulties inherent in: the application of the upholstery as practiced heretofore have been overcome, and the upholstery formed in such a manner as to. be capable of being readily and easily applied by com arativel inexperienced upholsterers wit out ma 'ng it necessary to apply additional finish strips as has been the case heretofore. Moreover, the

upholstery materials as shown and described herewith are capable of being made up in the form of units adapted to fit certain portions of the frame thus enabling the workmen to readily place the units in position to upholster the interior portion of the vehicle with much greater ease and facilitythan has been pomible heretofore. The upholstery as shown and described herewith is such that when it is placed in position upon the frame there is no tendency for the fabric material to wrinkle or become unequally stretched, thus making it unnecessary to exercise the same high degree of care in applying same as has been necessary with the methods previously employed. By means of the particular construction and arrangement of the upholstery units and the manner in which the materials are combined to form the same, the upholstery is capable of being applied to the frame in such a manner that the fastening means used for securing the same to the frame are entirely concealed while at the same time the upholstery is firmly secured in position and positively held in place under all conditions-of use. The upholsteryunits above referred to are preferably formed from plates of semi-rigid material covered with fabric material uponone side thereof and adapted to be secured to the frame. The term semirigid material is intended to designate any material such as card board, leather-board or other flexible material .,which is capable of supporting a layer of fabric and giving form thereto when said material is secured to a suitable backing.

A structure constituting one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure I is a side elevational view showing the interibr of a'fclosed vehicle body to which upholstery of the form shown and described "in this application has been applied.

Figure II is a sectional view, taken along the line II-II of. Figure I, and illustrating the manner of applying the upholstery to the rear portion of the vehicle body.

Figure III is a sectional view, taken along the line III-III of Figure I, and illustrating the'manner of applying the upholstery to the door post and to the door frame at the sides of the window.

Figure IV is a rear plan view of one of the upholstery units illustrating the manner in which the edges of the fabricmaterial overlie the rear face of the semi-rigid material along the edges thereof.

Figure V is a sectional view, taken along the li'nV-V of Figure I, and illustrating the manner of forming the upholstery which is applied to the lower portion of the door. Figure VI' is a sectional view, taken along the hue VI-VI of Figure I, and illustrating the construction and arrangement of the parts of the upholstery unit which is applied to the inner portion of'the vehicle frame at the top of the window.

Figure VII is a plan view illustrating the relative osition and arrangement of the fabric material and semi-rigid material from which the upholsteryunit is formed which is shown in section in Figure VI, before the parts are folded into their final assembled position.

Figure VIII is a view, partially in section, illustrating the first step in the application of the upholstery unit shown in Figure VII to the frame portion of the vehicle.

Figure IX is a view, similar to Figure VIII, illustrating the second step in the application of the upholstery material shown in Figures VI and VII to the frame of the vehicle.

Figure X is a View, similar to Figure IX, illustrating the final step in the folding of the upholstery material into position upon the frame of the vehicle.

Figure XI is a sectional view, similar to Figure VI and illustrates the upholstery material in its final position secured to the frame of the vehicle and bearing against the top covering.

Figure XII is a view, partially in section, somewhat similar to Figures VI and XI, and serve in addition thereto to illustrate the manner of applying the upholstery to the post between the vehicle doors. I

Figure XIII .is a sectional view, taken along the line XIII-XIII of Figure I, and illustrating the manner of applying the upholstery to'the door frame at the sides and top of the window.

Figure XIV is a sectional View illustrating the manner of securing the top covering to the permanent top of the vehicle intermediate the front and rear end portions thereof.

along the lines XVXV of Figure I; illustrating the manner ,of 'securingthe upholstery to the front portion of the vehicle above the pivotally mounted windshield.

Figure XVI is an elevational view, partially in section, illustrating the manner of securing the upholstery to the lower portion of the body of the vehicle adjacent to the rear seat.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herewith, 1 designates a closed vehicle body which in the present instance is of the usual sedan type and which is provided with a permanent top 2, windows 3 and front and rear doors 4 and 5 respectively. As is usual in closed bodies of this character upholstery is provided for covering the inner portion of the vehicle frame, and a top covering 6 of fabric material is secured to the under surface of the permanent top and extends entirely thereover, this top covering being cut of such a size as to extend downwardly upon the ends and sides of the frame, the portions 7 extending downwardly'upon the sides of the frame being adapted to be firml secured to the side frame members 8 by eing tacked or other wise attached thereto in the usual manner. The front and rear ends 9 of the top covering extend downwardly in a similar manner along the front and rear frame members 10 and 11 respectively to which they are adapted to be tacked .in the usual manner to prevent their removal from the frame. A plurality of longitudinally extending frame members 12 are positioned directly beneath the permanent top 2 which they serve to support and attached to the lower faces of the longitudinally extending frame members are a certain number of transversely extending frame members 13 which 7 extend entirely across the vehicle and have their end portions secured to the side frame members 8 adjacent the top of the vehicle. The top covering 6 is so positioned relative to the transverse framemembers 13 as to be properly held in position in proximity to the lower surface thereof, and to suitably hold the top covering in position relative to the lower surfaces of the trans verse members 13 and prevent sagging of the top covering, strips or tabs of fabric material 14 are provided which are sewed to the top covering 6 transversely thereof as indicated at 15, these strips being sewed to the top fabric before the same is applied to the vehicle frame, one adjacent each of the transverse strips 13 whereupon these fabric strips 1a are each adapted to lie upon one side face of one transverse member 13 and be firmly secured thereon by means of tacks or other suitable fastening devices 16 before the side and end portions 7 and 9 of,

the top covering are secured to the side and end frame members in the mannerpreviously described. As clearly appears from the above description the 'top covering 6 is cut from the fabric'material being formed of of "t 1e closed vehicle, and strips or tabs 14 are stitched to the upper surface thereof at 1 suitable intervals whereb they are adapted to overlie one side of sec of the transverse frame members 13 when the top covering is placed in osition. In applying the top covering to t e interior ofs the vehicle these tabs or strips. 14: are placed in position against the corresponding transverse frame members 13 and secured thereto by any suitable means as by tacks or nails 16 whereupon the front and side edges of the top covering are placed in position against the front rear and side frame members and tacked thereto.

The inner side walls of the vehicle body as well as the interior surfaces of the doors are adapted to be covered with upholster the manner of applying this upho ferent portions of the inner surface of the proper shape and size to fit the'top portion jacent the op frame which are to be covered consists generally in forming the upholstery in units and applying the upholstery units to the frame so as to fit closely against each other and be retained in position upon the frame by concealed fastening means. The various units are preferably made up in quantities the materials of which each unit is formed being cut of proper size to fit the part to which they are adapted to be applied. Thus it is possible to make up these units and form them to fit the particular parts towhich they are to be applied at a point where the work can be most readily done and then have them brought in their completed form to that point in the factory where they are to be applied to the vehicle frame After the top covering has been secured in position upholstery units are applied to the sides of the vehicle frame beneath the top covering and over the doors and windows formed therein in such a manner as to overlie the downwardly extending edges of the top covering and serve to conceal the fastening means employed for securing the side edges of the top covering to the side frame members. The particular formof upholstery units'employed for this purpose is illustrated in Figures VI to IX inclusive. The upholstery units adapted to be employed for covering that portion of the side frame bet-ween the top covering and the door or window opening is made'up in the form of units of substantially equal width and of a length sufficient to suitably cover that portion of the frame over each door and window. 4 In making up these upholstery units a piece of fabric 20 is employed and two plates of semi-rigid material 21 and 22, the semi-rigid material being preferably cardboard, leather-board or other similar material which is capable of being sition and give form to the same. In mak ing up each of the upholstery units a plate of semi-rigid material 21 is placed upon one side of the fabric material in such a manner that the edge of the plate coincides with one edge of the fabric material and thb two are attached together by a row of stitches indicated by the reference character A similar semi-rigid plate 22 is applied to the same side of the fabric material as the plate 21 but is positioned adcured to the abric material by means of a row of stitches 24. The strips of semirigid material 21 and 22 terminate somewhat short of the end of the fabric material thus leaving a flap 25 which is capable of being bent over the ends of the semirigid material to give a smooth finished a pearance to the end of the upholstery unit.

site edge thereof and is se tea In applying these units to the interior of the frame the unit is first placed in the position illustrated in Figure VIII of the drawings in which the strip of semi-rigid material 21 is positioned adjacent the top covering with the fabric upon which the semi-rigid material is mounted lying adjacent the side frame of the vehicle. While the upholstery unit is held in this position a plurality of tacks or other suitable fastening means 26 is driven through the strip 21 and the fabric material carried thereby into the side frame 8 whereby the upper edge of the upholstery unit is firmly secured in place against the side frame. It will be noted also that as this portion of the upholstery unit is fastened to the side frame, it will assist in holding the edge 7 of the top covering 6 firmly secured to the side frame. lVhen the strip 21 has thus been secured to the side frame member throughout its length the strip 22 is folded upwardly into the position illustrated in Figure IX of the drawings and again folded over into the position illustrated in Figure X whereupon a layer of glue is applied to the upper surface of the cardboard strip as shown in Figure X or to the inner surface of the cardboard strip 21 as illustrated in that figure and the strip 22 is then folded upwardly and placed into close engagement with the strip 21 as illustrated in Figure XI of the drawings whereupon the glue applied to the inner faces of the strips serve to secure the strip 22 firmly in position so that the tacks or other fastening means employed for holding the strip 21 upon the frame member are entirely concealed. It will be seen that when these upholstery units above referred to have been applied in the manner just described a smooth and unbroken surface of the fabric as indicated by 27 will be presented to the interior of the vehicle, and if it is found necessary the upholstery units may be further secured in position to the frame by means of a plurality of brads or tacks having small heads which may be driven through the entire upholstery units so as to be forced through the surface layer 27 of the fabric whereby they are concealed from view but are engaged by the layer of semi-rigid material 22 to assist the other fastening devices in holding the upholstery units in position. it will be seen upon reference to Figure XII of the drawings that the upholstery units thus described extend in close proximity to the door posts 29 which separate the door openings from each other upon opposite sides of the vehicle body The manner of applying upholstery to the front frame member 10 above the Windshield will now be described in detail. Strips of semi-rigid material such as cardboard or its equivalent 29' are cut to fit that portion of the front frame above the windshield and a suitably formed piece of fabric material 30 is applied thereto so as to entirely cover one side of the semi-rigid material and to have the edges of the fabric overlapping the same as indicated by the reference, characters 31. The fabric material may be firmly glued to the strip of semirigid material so as to present a smooth inner surface whereupon the upholstery unit thus formed is applied to the front frame member in such a manner as to ex tend into close' contact with the top covering 6 and thus entirely cover that portion of the front frame between the to cover 6 and the top of the Windshield. his upholstery unit is preferably glued in position. upon the front frame member and pressed into close contact therewithto hold the same in place and may be additionally secured by means of a plurality of small headed brads driven through the fabric material 30 in such a manner as to pass therethrough and engage the semi-rigid material to hold the same in position against the frame, the heads of such brads being concealed from view by the inner surface of the fabric material 30 through which they' have been passed.

The door posts 29 are covered by upholstery units formed in a somewhat similar manner to that just described, the upholstery units employed for this purpose being. shaped and formed in the manner illustrated in Figure IV of the drawings. In this form of the upholstery units a strip of semi-rigid material 33 is provided which is of the proper shape and size to fit the portion of the frame to which'it is intended to be applied and a. strip of upholstery fabric34 is cut of proper size to put over the strip 33. The edge portions of the upholstery fabric 34 are turned beneath'the opposite side of the strip of semi-rigid material as indicated at 35 and the fabric ma-, terial 34 together with the edges 35 may be both firmly glued to the strip of semirigid material to form a unitary piece of upholstery which is of rope-r size to cover the door posts. lnlproviding u holstery for this portion of the interior 0 the vehicle, a pair .of fabric strips 36 are preferably employed each of which is turned over a cord 37 thus forming an ornamental bead of upholstery material adapted to be applied to the two inner side edges of the door post. The strips 36 are first placed in osition upon the edges of the door post an firmly secured thereto by means of tacks 38 in the ordinary manner. After these ornamental strips have been plawd in position so that the bead portions thereof extend slightly beyond the inner edges of the. door posts, the upholstery unit just described is placed in position and firmly glued to the door post, the upholstery unit being of such size as to extend between the ornamental bead portions of the two strips previously de scribed and the upholstery unit is preferably held in place-by means of glue applied to the inner surface thereof sothat when the unit is pressed into close contact with the inner surface of the post, it will be held in close engagement therewith. As an additional means of securing the upholstery unit to the inner surface of the door post,

a plurality of small headed brads 39 are preferably passed through the inner portion of the fabric material in such a manner as to be driven entirely therethrough so that the heads of these brads will engage the semi-rigid material to hold the same in position against the door post while they are entirely concealed from view by reason'of the fact that they have been forced entire 1y through the fabric material covering the inner surface of the semi-rigid material.

In the provision of upholstery material for the purpose ofcovering the inner side of the door frame adjacent. to the window formed therein, these portions of the upholstery are formed in units which are of proper size and shape for covering these portions of the frame to which they are applied and each unit is formed from apiece of semi-rigid material 40 together with a fabric covering therefor which is adapted to be of such size as to extend beyond the side edges of the semi-rigid material, the fabric material employed in these. units being indicated generallyby the reference character 41. A portion of the fabric material which extendsbeyond one side edge ofthe semi-rigid material is turned downwardly against the opposite side of the semirigid material as indicated by the reference character 42 and a line of stitching 43 is applied to firmly secure the fabric material to one edge of the semi-rigid material. The

upholstery units formed in this manner are applied to the frame 44 of the door and the inturned portion 42 of the fabric material may be tacked to the frame 44 to assist in securing the same in position thereon. In addition to the tacking of the downturned edge 42 of the fabric material to the door frame, glue may be applied to the inner face of theupholstery unitwhich bears against the frame to serve as additional means for securing the upholstery in position thereon. When the upholstery unit is thus placed upon the door frame that portion of the fabric material which overlies the other edge of the semi-rigid material as indicated by 45 may be drawn inwardly and secured to the door frame by means of suitable tacks 46, after which a finish strip 47 is placed thereover and firmly secured to the door frame by means of screws 48 or other suitable fastening devices. It will be clear that from this construction the upholstery material is firmly secured in place upon the door frame and positively held against .removal therefrom.

The upholstery secured to portions of the vehicle frame adjacent the rear of the enclosed portion of the vehicle are made up of a'plurality of' upholstery units 50, 51 and 52 each of which is formed in a somewhat similar manner and is made of such-shape and size as to suitably fit certain portions of the vehicle frame. The upholstery units and 51 are preferably made in a similar manner to that shown in Figure IV of the drawings, each being provided with a plate f semi-rigid material as at 53 in Figure XVI entirely covered upon one side with a layer of fabric material 54 which is of such width as to extend beyond the edges of the semi-rigid material and overlie the opposite side thereof as indicated at 55. This fabric material may be secured to the semi-rigid material by being glued thereon, thus forming a complete upholstery unit wherein the parts are firmly secured together permitting the same to be readily handled and inserted in its proper place relative to the frame as a unit. In the construction illustrated in Figure XVI of the drawings the arm rest 56 is covered with fabric material 57 one edge of which is secured within a slot 58 cut m the upper surface of the arm rest and attached thereto by means of tacks or other suitable fastening devices 59. The edge of the fabric material being secured to the upper surface of the arm rest by-the fastening devices 59 the fabric material is drawn downwardly over the arm rest and the padding 60 lying adjacent thereto and a tab or strip of flexible material 61 is sewed to the upholstery fabric along the lines which correspond substantially with the lower edge of the arm rest, the material 61 being adapted to be attached to the frame portion 62 throughout its length to properly hold the upholstery material closely against the frame 62 throughout the lower surface of the arm rest. Padding 63 is preferably positioned between the lower portion of the upholstery material and the frame 62, the upholstery material being drawn thereover and the lower edge being secured to the seat 64 by means of tacks or other suitable fastening means 65. The groove 58 formed in the inner upper surface of the arm rest provides a recess for the reception of the lower edge of the upholstery unit 50 which is capable of being positioned therein, the upper edge of said upholstery unit being held in place by the finish strip 66 applied to the lower edge of the window frame.

- flhe upholstery unit 51 maybe applied in a similar manner and correspondingly held in position by the finish stri upon. the window frame or the inner sur' ace of this unit may be permanently glued to the body frame after the manner described in connection with the other upholstery units.

The upholsteryunit 52 which is applied [to the rear portion of the vehicle is of similar construction to those previously described and may comprise a plate of semirigid material 65, a layer of felt 66 and a layer of upholstery fabric 67 which is of suflicient siz'e'to entirely cover one face of the felt which lies against the semi-rigid .material and has edges extending over and secured to the opposite side of the semi-rigid material. The felt, upholstery fabric and semi-rigid material may be firmly secured together by glue applied between the meeting surfaces of the layers of material, and in similar manner the overlapping edges 68 of the fabric material may be glued to the opposite side of the semi-rigid material. In this manner I the upholstery unit is capable of being constructed to fit that portion of the vehicle frame to which it is to be applied whereupon it may be pressed in position, the bottom edge being held by the roll formed upon the upper edge of the seat upholstery, while the upper edge of the unit may be secured in place by means of brads driven through the upholstery material and so formed that their heads engage the semi-rigid material to hold the upholstery units in position. The upholstery for the lower portion of the door structures are like the upholstery for the remaining parts of the frame madeup of complete units formed of suitable shape and size for fitting the lower portion of the door and prefera'bly applied'thereto in a single piece. As shown in Figure V of the drawings, the upholstery unit adapted-to be applied to the door comprises a lower fabric portion 68 having a cord 69 stitched. in the lower edge thereof to form an ornamental bead, and the upper edge of this portion 68 is preferably stitched to the lower edge of the main portion of the door upholste 70. The main portion of the door upho stery 70 is made up of a plate of semi-rigid material 71 formed of such shape and size as to cover the lower portion of the door and a similar plate 72 of substantially equal size formed of felt or other suitable material is laced adjacent. to the semi-rigid material 1. A layerof fabric material 73 overlies the felt 72 and is formed of such size as to be of slightly greater extent than the layer of semi-rigid material, the edges of the fa ric material 73 being drawn over the edges of the semi-rigid material and secured to the reverse side thereof whereby the edges of the upholstery units are so formed as to presentca smooth surface to the eye. 7 3 are preferably glued together-although if it is found desirable they may be secured The layers of material 71, 72 and to each other by suitable rows of stitching.

The upholstery unit 70 formed in the manner above described is provided with an opening 74 formed substantially centrally thereof which serves to. give access to a pocket formed in an auxiliary piece of upholstery material adapted to be applied to the main unit. In the formation of the pocket a stripof semi-rigid material 75 and fabric material 76 are connected together, being made of slightly greater size than the opening 74 whereby they may be attached to the edges of the upholstery unit 70 surrounding the opening 74:. The pocket is formed of one or more layers of fabric material 77 which are stretched across the opening in front of'the semi-rigid material 76 and'fabric material 75. A fiap- 78 is provided for the pocket which is preferably formed from a layer of semi-rigid material 79 and inner and outer layers of fabric material 80 stitched to or otherwise secured in place upon the semi-rigid material to form a smooth and finished surface. The upper edge of the flap 78 is inserted between the unit 70 and the material 75 and 76 forming the backing for the pocket as indicated at 81. When the unit 70, the backing 75 and 76, the flap 78 and the pocket 77 are thus assembled in position they are preferably secured together by one or more rows of stitching located around the central opening 7d formed in the main upholstery unit 70 whereby these various parts are all firmly secured together. An opening 82 is formed in the-semi-rigid material 71 and the felt 72 which serve as a basis for the upholstery unit and portions of the fabric material are pressed through said openings as indicated at 83 and secured to the rear face of the semi-rigid material to form an opening for the reception of the window lift strap which opening is so wnstructed' as to present a perfectly smooth interior surface to the strap. The upholstery material 73 ends above the top of the semi-rigid material of the' main unit to form a fiap 8% which is preferably positioned beneath the lower finish strip 85 of the door window and secured in position by this strip. In the application of this upholstery unit to the door the rear surface of the upholstery unit is preferably coated with glue and the entire upholstery unit thus secured in position upon the surface of the door, the flap 84.: extending beneath and being secured in place by the finish strip 85 after the manner described in connection with the upholstery unit applltid to the door frame around the window sas Aswill be understood from the foregoing description that my improved upholstery is capable of being easily and cheaply constructed-in quantity and then readily applied to the frame. The construction of the .various units is such as to permit them to be readily and easily formed and cut to' proper shape and size to fit the various parts of the frame, while the construction of the same is such as to permit them to be applied by relatively inexperienced workmen and yet maintain the upholstery material in position to present a smooth surface, and wherein no finish braid is required. The upholstery throughout is so applied as to conceal the fastening means used for securing the'same to the frame, and

without the necessity of employing finish .braid or other materials for covering the fastening devices.

WVhile as' shown and described herewith certain of the .units differ from each other in their details of construction as well as in the manner of applying the same to the frame as such variations are rendered expedient by reason of the different portions of the frame to which they are adapted to be applied. yet it is not my intention to limit my claims to any particular detailed form of upholstery unit but rather to cover broadly an upholstery which is capable of being formed partially or entirely of separate units which are capable of being applied to the body as units and secured thereto by concealed fastening means.

lVhile I have shown and descibed in con-' siderable .detail'one form which my inven tion may assume in practice, it is to be understood that thisshowing and description is for the purpose of illustration only and that I do not regard the invention as limited to the precise details of construction illustrated or described, nor any of them, ex-

cept in so far as I have included such limitations within the terms of the following claims. I v

What I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a motor vehicle, a frame, upholstery therefor comprising separate elements shaped to fit'parts of the frame, said elements being formed of plates of semi-rigid material mounted face to' face, and fabric covering therefor having one edge disposed between the plates, the fabric covering overlying the outer faces of the semi-rigid material, means for securing the inner plate to the frame, and concealed means for securing the outer plate to the inner plate.

2. The method of applying upholstery to a frame, comprising the making up of the upholstery in semi-rigid units of such size and shape as to. fit the part to which they are adapted to be applied, the attaching of a portion of the upholstery to the frame, the subsequent positioning of the upholste unit to conceal the p-art'thus attached to the frame, and the further securing of the upholstery unit to the frame by means concealed by the 'unit itself.

7 3. An upholstery unit comprising two sheets of semi-rigid material arranged face to face, a layer of fabric covering the exposed side of the outer sheet, said fabric being extended beyond one edge of the outer sheet to form. a flap, said flap being secured to the inner sheet and thereby constituting a hinge between the sheets, said inner sheet being adaped to be secured to the bodyof an automobile while the outer sheet is folded to one side, and concealed means for securing the outer sheet to the inner sheet.

4. An upholstery unit comprising two sheets of semi-rigid material arranged face to face, a layer of fabric covering the exposed side of the outer sheet and extending around one edge of the inner sheet and secured thereto, the opposite edge of the fabric being attached to the inner side of said outer sheet, means for securing the inner sheet to the body of an automobile while the outer sheet is folded to, one side, and concealed means for securing the outer sheet to the inner sheet.

5. The method of constructing and applying uphdlstery units to a frame which comprises attaching two semi-rigid plates in spaced relation along the opposite edges of a sheet of fabric, securing one edge of the fabric and the plate thereon tothe frame, folding the fabric along a line between the plates, and applyin means concealed from view for fastening tie unsecuredplate' upon the secured plate.

6. The method of constructing and applying upholstery units to aframe which comprises attaching two semisrigid plates in spaced relation alongtheopposite edges of a sheet of fabric, securing one edge of the fabric and the plate thereon 'to the frame,

ADOLPH LIGHTER. 

